TB--Season Nine Episode 5----Melancholy Moon
by angie9281
Summary: After suffering a heartbreaking loss, Sookie must venture out to find her viking, who she knows is in a very precarious sate of mind and she must find him before he decides to attempt something foolish, irreversible
1. Chapter 1

**PART ONE**

 **Chapter 1**

She had been depressed for some time and had take a leave from her job. Three weeks it had been since the loss of her son in law and her daughter and the wounds were still too much to bear and she knew they would never truly heal. Death was never anything easy to be dealt with and as she lay on bed that morning, she teared up again, for her loss and that this was yet another loss in the life of her Viking. She couldn't fathom his he had suffered so many losses in his life, losses she knew of and those that remained a secret to her. He had not been seen or heard from in the weeks since Aurora and Blaze had met their fates and though she could very well go find him easily, she herself hadn't been up for anything. Even time with her niece Harper hadn't been the cathartic time she had hoped it would be, though she did get some joy from those visit from her almost 6 year old niece, Sookie would return to those dark thoughts and memories she wouldn't ever lose. The good and the bad, all of her only daughter. These weeks apart had been terrible, she felt like she had lost a part of herself. And she had. And he had lost a part too. Having taken to the bottle-a faerie brewed wine that she could actually get drunk off. Human beers and alcohol no longer affected her, being a hybrid and she had wanted something to numb the pain, so briefly, she had trekked back to Faery and returned home with the bottles of special booze. Now, here she was, days later having finished all but one of the five bottles she had brought back. The unexpected separation had stung her a few days after the funeral when she had woken up to find the letter written to her on the bedside table. Having almost lost him once before when he had ran off to parts then unknown, she didn't want to be sorry not going after him. But instead, she had found herself hitting the bottle, wanting to respect his wish to be left at peace and though he had promised to return, he had also warned he was in a bad state of mind and had some fear that he could possible cause her harm should she come after him. And she knew that that was not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Everyone reacted to painful events differently and she had come to accept that for him, he preferred to be alone to deal with things, wanting to maintain that cool, tough exterior and yet all his loved ones knew better, that he did and could feel and had expressed whose emotions to them all. Still, she worried that perhaps he would go out and do something reckless…he had acted recklessly before and had wound up nearly dying from hep v. she was not going to let something as equally scary happen again and so she closed her eyes and using their bond, soon found herself outside the walls of the settlement of his ancestors, a settlement now ruled by his once thought dead younger sister, who had been raised up to a young woman and then turned. And though the guards standing outside in the night were well armed and were frightening, as most of this clan of Viking vampires were. But as she walked up the narrowing path towards the gates of the small kingdom, away from prying eyes and the reach of humans-though the occasional explorer did find this place, Sookie had used some of her magic to help protect it and its people from being found. Anyone who traveled too close all of a sudden had the urge to head back from where they came. She had wanted to keep this part of his life, his past, preserved and the people living here had been nothing but protective and loyal to her and their family in the months since this little community had become known. Elsa had taken to being the queen of the clan here and thought the last time they had met, Sookie had known Eric's sister to have been with someone, now, times had changed and there was a new one at the side of the queen as she was escorted into the simple yet imposing castle.

"Sookie, it is good to see you again and we do not speak the name of my former….consort….he tried selling us out to some thrill seekers, to turn this place into a tourist trap." Elsa said as she hugged her kin. "We had no choice but to execute, especially when I came to learn he had plans to turn me over to those people personally, to make me a freak show exhibit somewhere." Elsa sighed. "if he had shown some regret, perhaps he would have lived but…" she shrugged. "It isn't easy making these choices but there are hundreds here I am protective of." she smirked. "I take it you are here for more than a reunion. Yes, he is here and he wouldn't tell me why…but I knew he wasn't in any mood to spill."

Sookie sighed and after asking for privacy, the throne room emptied and the two were left alone and she told her what had happened

 **Chapter 2**

After hearing the tale of deception and the events that had led to the losses of Aurora and Blaze, Elsa looked horrified and offered her sympathies in the form of a tight hug to her sister in law. "I am so sorry…I know how much he has lost in his life, the pain you both have endured….if there was anything could do I would."

"You can show me to him….maybe I can convince him to come home. I know he reacts to loss in his own ways….I know he struggles and doesn't want to admit it, that running away….well, he has never been easy to figure out. Always complicated."

Laughing half heartedly and looking worried, Sookie agreed, "Yeah….even now, I still cant figure him out all the way. And its exciting and frustrating at the same time….." she was stopped before a set of heavy doors, flaked by guards. "You are taking precautions to keep him safe and I am thankful."

"We know your magic keeps us all safe here and we are grateful…still, it's a added layer we like to keep, guards posted where I wish them to be." Elsa said as the two men stepped aside and bowed to them both. "Go on in, I just had him some blood delivered. The perks of living in modern times and yet we keep tradition alive too." Elsa pulled out a cell phone. "Sent a couple of my friends to drain a human-no, of course we didn't kill and left him with some cash-and brought it back for my brother. couldn't have worked it out that well without modern technology." she sighed and offered her friend a pat on the arm before letting the girl enter the large room that was built for the royalty that she sometimes forgot that he was. The heavy hand carved door closed behind here and she looked at the room she had been on once before, a room set aside specifically for him. A blend of modern and ancient décor, she took note of the weapons on the wall, the leathers hanging up and of course, the bed she had enjoyed before with him. And there on that bed, on his back, staring at the ceiling lit by a blend of modern battery powered lanterns and flame lit torches in sconces built into the walls was a bare chested, leather pants wearing Eric. He Didn't look at her but started to speak.

"Its déjà vu, a loved one coming after me to find me….at least you did this time, instead of laying back and enjoying the wolf instead, not giving a thought about where I could be, if I was even alive…." the unexpected tirade stunned her and though she knew she had been in the wrong not to have tried looking for him that other time, it was in the past and they had come to a agreement about that. She knew when he was hurting, he could lash out in anger and that was what was happening, she knew and still, these words hurt her and as he finally stole a glance at her, seeing the pain on her face, he clearly regretting his words. "Sorry." he said as she gingerly approached, sitting on the bed beside him. "I….didn't plan to up and leave for this long."

"I wish I had come sooner…I was scared of what I may find." she admitted. "Has Gunnar been around? I know things have been hard with him deciding to relocate here but…our son…." she trailed off. "I sure could use my two favorite men here together right now."

"Elsa said he has been out and about exploring Europe…he was planning on being back any day now….." he replied, still on the bed, looking upwards at the ceiling. The soft lighting coupled with the roaring fireplace in the large room make the room warm and homey and yet he acted miles away. Distracted. The disconnect was more than a little palpable and she sat herself on the foot of the bed and he saw how upset she was and knew his coldness was not helping. He sat up slowly and touched her arm. "I shouldn't have run off….again. Even though we have both changed in many ways, I still…."

"Feel like you are a lone wolf…..that you have to keep everything inside and by going off on your own, its your coping mechanism. I get it." she said, leaning back so she had her back to his chest and felt a sense of comfort and relief as he stroked her hair. "I wish I had come sooner….but I also didn't feel anything that alarmed me either."

There came a knock at the door and reluctant to leave her cozy position, she slid off the bed and walked to the heavy door, unlocking it and peered through the crack and saw the guards. And the face of her son peered at her, his teary eyes expression-red tinged, being a hybrid-sparkled in the light. "I got here as soon as I could…..I was gathering supplies to bring back here and…." she opened the door wide and let him in, shutting the door and hugging him to her, though he was a good head taller than she was. Built almost just like his father, just a inch shorter. "I…..if I had come home for a visit, maybe there was something in could have done.."

"None of us saw this coming. It happened so fast." the tale of the fate that had befallen Aurora and Blaze and then with the impostor that had taken Blazes place, thus imperiling Sookie and all of Faery….it was a long tale. Full of heartbreak, bravery, survival…..that those who had aligned to help them had made it through save for Adilyn's birth mother said a lot to the strength that they had had in defeating Brennan, the faerie that had briefly been impersonating Blaze. It was a story to go with their storied lives and it was the next thing that was spoken that shocked them all

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Chapter 2

**PART TWO**

 **Chapter 3**

"I don't…this is a great place, no mistake about that and the people here are….scary. Friends, thank god but lets face it, they are frightening. And though some are family and all friends to us, there is no way I want to make this a permanent place to live." she said as she and Gunnar heard their patriarch say he wasn't planning on returning home.

"This is home." Eric said as he sad on the bed. This is where everything started for me, where the ghosts of my past dwell…..where trouble can't touch me or those I care about. Everyone back in the states, they are survivors. Pam, Willa…how could they not be, considering who made them? But….this feels right now. And I know this isn't the place you want to live in but…." he didn't know what else to say and as she looked at the equally concerned face of her son, Sookie watched her Viking lay back on the bed, staring blankly upward. "At least you'll know where to find me."

"I am not going home without you, this is insanity, you left town before for months….it isn't happening again. I won't let it." she said, reaching out to grab his arm to try to literally shake him out of this funk. But to her surprise, he pulled away from her and gave her a look normally reserved for when he was in the throes of a good fight. And it startled her, Gunnar taking her arm gently, pulling her slowly away from him.

"Look, we are all upset over the loss of our loved ones but you can't expect to treat her like this….she came here to help like I did….we are family, yes?": Gunnar said, his temper very much like his father, impatience at getting him out of this funk getting to him rapidly. "I know you've been in a state like this before and it nearly killed you. You want to watch your loved ones watch you like this, endure this?" Gunnar waited for a response and he got one. A hand around his throat as a bur had raced to them and as both of the men started tangling in a fight, no doubt she knew her son was literally trying to beat the funk out of his father. But as strong as he was, Gunnar was no match for the much older Eric and soon he was pinned to ground, facing the end of a sword that had so swiftly been pulled down from one of the brackets on the wall. Not that he thought his own father would harm him, but in this state of mind, it was clear anything was possible and it upset him and his mother greatly.

"Guys!' Sookie said, from where she had retreated, in a area that had been made into something of a door less closet, clothes on simple hangers and she looking frazzled, walked from the curtain of clothes back out to where they had briefly but fiercely had it out. Things were overturned and a few weapons lay on the floor, the ringing from the metal still ringing in her ears. She saw the looks on their faces, neither looking to want to speak and Gunnar spun around and stormed from the room. And as for him, Sookie watched the Viking open one of the heavy windows in the room and even with the sun fast approaching, they both knew he could withstand the sun for a few hours, thanks to her blood within him. But she hated seeing her loved one storming off and she was caught in the middle.

 **Chapter 4**

She closed the heavy shutters behind her as she left the castle, following the trail. She kept going, the cold no longer affecting her like it once did. She hadn't exactly dressed for the weather though and with her being only part vamp, she was still a warm-blooded being. And she knew prolonged exposure in this climate wasn't good for her. Still, she trudged through the snowy path, down into a valley surrounded by thick bushes and trees, a oasis from the cold. But her legs started to give out, the cold finally getting to her and she had managed only to steal a glimpse at the hot springs before the cold overwhelmed even her supernatural body and she soon blacked out, not before feeling slightly warmer hands catching her.

A few minutes mater she was awakened and submerged in the warm water of the hot spring. Trees and large rocks surrounded the little oasis from the cold and she felt the furry warmth around her and blinking, she found herself pulled from its depths and wrapped in what she knew to be a thick hide of animal fur, something that she knew was plentiful in this area. Though rustic, there was no denying that the waterproof, furry hides were warming her blood back to a reasonable temp. she felt herself be put on her back and under the moonlight canopy, the trees towering high, the stars and moon still higher. Rolling on her side, she looked around for who she knew had brought her back from the brink yet again. And there she saw a figure leaning back against one of the smoothed down stones lining the springs.

She got herself situated and made her way over to where her troubled beau was positioned and didn't quite know what to say, she had to admit his anger was something fierce, frightening her even after all these years. "I….Thank you for helping me out, it was colder than even I could deal with….I kind of was a idiot coming here without proper attire." she said, smiling, hoping to lighten the tension in the air, knowing that things were far from normal. "I never wanted you to suffer like this…you have been through more than your fair share and I know I have too but….compared to you….can you please talk to me…look at me?" she said as she implored her pained Viking to acknowledge her presence. Granted, he had saved her from freezing to death but was back to a somewhat catatonic state. He still said nothing, his body language emitting grief, anger and hurt.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he stole a glance at her. "I wanted to make sure you were as warm as possible." he gave her a worried look. "I thought perhaps I wouldn't get you warm in time." she felt a little twinge of pain as she recognized he was more worried for her well being than his own. She knew he was troubled, more so than she had ever seen him.

"I feel fine, thank you." she said with impatience as she moved still closer to where he was submerged in the water. She knelt on the shore, huddling within the warmth of the fur mantle that managed to cover most of her body, her wet clothes having been disposed of to keep her warm. "You know it hurts me making me worry about you and back at the castle-"

"I was wrong to do what I did, though I am impressed with our son's fighting abilities….." he replied managing a brief flicker of a smile. But that vanished and the melancholy was once more visible under the moonlight. And he knew he was upsetting her with his behavior and yet, he didn't care. About anyone or anything. It was like he had been before she had entered his life, his heart was like ice again. "I don't know what you want from me. I don't know what I can give. Clearly I cant protect you if I couldn't even do anything for Aurora."

"You Can't be everywhere and none of us saw this coming." she said, attempting to sit herself beside him, dangling her feet in the warm water, noting that there was a fire burning in a fire pit and her sneakers were at a safe distance, clearly being dried. She appreciated that he was trying to care of her even in this state of mind. He wasn't looking at her and she started to tear up, to sniffle. Getting to her feet she finally let loose her temper and emotions that had festered in the several weeks since they had lost their daughter and she started sobbing, a sound that even he was not immune from. "I wish I hadn't come, this…..its making things so much worse. Everyone back home has been supportive and kind but the one person I thought I could count on..he's checked out in every way possible. Abandoning me like he once abandoned his own progeny. And even though you and Willa may be good now, there is also no forgetting that you abandoned her. Like you abandoned me." and those words, her tears were enough to finally get a reaction.

On his feet and devoid of any emotion, he approached her, and though his face was stoic, it was in those gorgeous eyes of his that she saw the window into the truth. That he was as pained and regretful about so many things was clear. "I shouldn't have left like that….I have a tendency to leave when things get too much…I go into a dark place and I…ironically enough, do it to try to keep from hurting those I care about and instead I do just that, I see it in your eyes and I feel the pain I caused you. Again. And time and time again you stand by me and…." there was nothing he could say that he felt was enough to make up for the weeks he had left her and the others back home. And it happened then something so rare occurred. Something he hadn't even done before Pam or anyone else in their family. He fell at her feet and started sobbing. She had seen him sad before but this was a new level and her heart was breaking more if that was even possible. She knelt down beside him, putting a fur between their knees and the snow, her forehead touching his and with her magic, through her own stream of tears she sent a wave of warmth, of light and love through him and though he didn't need to, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes looking at her and feeling a sense of calm, though the pain was still there.

"That felt….better than….well, you know." he said with a cheeky grin that turned awestruck, thoughtful. "Every time I think you can't surprise me more…I miss her already."

Nodding in agreement, she put her head back against his forehead and nodded. "I think we all do and it's a hold that won't hear in our hearts…..ever. But we are here now with family and friends and there are others home waiting for us….I sent a quick test to Pam that I found you and not to come racing over here…..I doubt she was happy about that but she has respected our wishes….however reluctantly." there was a silence as she stroked his hair, feeling the emotion within him rolling off him and thanks to her faerie magic, she could feel things, sense things so much more than she ever could before the power awakened in her, sometimes it was a curse and sometimes a blessing and right now, she was glad to be able to send vibes of her light into his troubled soul and vice versa. Their connection would save them both…until something was said that shook her to the core. And her smile faded as she felt his inner torment, his grief. Her magical calming had only been a brief respite. Things were worse than she had expected them to be.

"I am not sure if I want to go on….I feel like my time is over and I know this isn't what you need, want to hear….but I am so tired." he said after a silence, after which an even longer one followed as she sat there in shock as he got up and walked away from her, leaving her under the light of the fire and the now rather melancholy moon

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 3

**PART THREE**

 **Chapter 5**

There was nothing she could say at this moment, she had been hopeful that in a day from now they would be together, headed back to the states. But now, even with her best efforts, she was unable to get him fully out of this funk and that he seemed almost suicidal at this point….she was disturbed to say the least and she followed him through the increasingly snowy weather. She flashed herself in front of him, stopping him juts short of the clearing that led to the entrance gates of the secretive community. "I am not going to just let you walk away after what you just said. How selfish can you be to say what you said, to be heading in the direction you are seemingly going in."

"What direction would that be?" they had reached the gates where it seemed Elsa and Gunnar had dressed and was apparently coming after them with the weather taking such a turn. The blonde queen, even with the wind shipping her long blonde hair looked forceful and regal in the elements. She looked from her sister in law to her brother, Gunnar looking like his anger was gone and replaced with a concerned look.

They all watched as the guards let the fur clad Viking through the gates and the three left in his wake looked at one another with concern and worry and as she told them what had happened in the time since she had followed him to the springs, she was even more worried than she had been a hour before. "I really thought…I thought I could get to him….he is struggling more than I ever thought possible." she said as Elsa let her and Gunnar into the privacy of her throne room, guards standing at their posts outside the cozily lit room. "It wasn't easy but we managed to get ourselves internet access up here and though only a few of us here have any interest in learning to use it….Google has taught me much. This WebMD…..it sounds like he suffers from a deep depression." Elsa said as she read from her cell phone that she had pulled out from the folds of her soft woolen cloak. "Your son has been instrumental in helping us get technology up here…though he, myself and only a handful of others have a interest in getting a real grasp on techy stuff. That being said, all those living here can at least use the basics of a cell phone." her worry was making the queen babble on and she must had realized she was doing so as she mage a cringy face. "Sorry, I mean, I just want to help…."

"No doctor physical or online is going to fix this." Gunnar said, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning back in his high backed chair beside his mother. "It seems to me that the strongest one is the one who needs the help the most. He can only take so much and this may be the straw that broke the camels back, as it were." he shook his head. "I may know his past from what has been told to me by you mom, but I can not imagine how he has dealt with all what he has. And that he has lived for ten centuries, I just can't imagine living that long with that much suffering."

"I wanted to follow him back into his room….I just….this is worse than anything else we have ever dealt with and that includes witches, maenads and vamp religion…and yet all of tat crap combined…its worrisome. The toll its taken on him. All these years of trying to play it cool, to make people think him invincible…..its not working anymore. Clearly."

He shouldn't be alone. At all." Gunnar said as she got to his feet and strode to leave the chamber and toe other two agreed, though were wary at what they would find. And their wariness turned to fear as they were forced to break down the door with their superhuman abilities. They entered the room and the smell of blood hung in the air and there in the center of the room, dripping in blood of what they all suspected had been some of their friends, judging by the remains of the clothing amongst the goo that was once vamps. And they stood there in the doorway, staring with gaping mouths at the carnage surrounding their troubled loved one. And it was not just the blood of the victims that covered the Viking, the smell of silver in in the air and they saw, in his wrists, large gaping mounds where silver had been jabbed through.

It was not a easy thing for her to do but Elsa knew she needed to do something drastic and gave a shout in a foreign tongue that Sookie was still trying to master. But she understood enough to know things were about to go down and in a instant, there came a dozen armed Viking vamps and they were gloves to protect them from what they needed to use. It was surprising and yet not to see the situation taking the turn it took and Gunnar seemed to have been in on the plan, clearly made before they had even returned from the springs. The guards had silvered him more than he had already done to himself and they led him from the room, Sookie stopped by her sons strong arms

"Look, he is a danger to himself and clearly to others. I think he has lost his mind."

And internally, she ached for his misery and yet had to agree. The question was, how to help him from going to the point of no return. Or had he already reached that point?

 **Chapter 6**

She peered into the bars of the dungeon, the dungeons had been made to keep vamps safely trapped and therefore were laced with silver from the bars to the door to the ceiling. And in the light of the torches outside the room coupled with the battery powered lights set into the walls outside the cell, she made out the simple cot where she saw her Viking. He seemed to have not only lost his mind, but ….well….everything that made him who he was.

"He is safest here….the silver was removed from him and it was clearly an attempt on his life….or perhaps he wanted to punish himself for what he did to those three guards." Elsa said as she sighed, looking through the bars of the door to where she saw the faint outline of her big brother in the gentle light. "I can't let him out until we resolve this, Sookie, I hope you realize that. And execution is not an option."

"Clearly." Sookie replied as she turned her troubled face from the door to her family. "And I know this is hard for you too, I mean, he is your brother and this…..this isn't him, you have to know that even though you haven't gotten to know him all that well."

"I know enough and have learned enough about him to know that he has decency in him. He's never been a saint but there is that goodness that I sense about him that is keeping him alive. If he was any other person though I would have ended him. You must know that. I need to keep my-our people safe. The people here are as good as family to you as well as they are to me. That being said, I can't have him out and about, a threat to himself and others. And for your sake, until we can figure out how to help him, I would strongly suggest you not go in there."

"Looks like I am staying here longer than I thought I would and I can only hope not to drag….." Sookie trailed off as there came a flurry of guards into the room as they led in someone that they knew, but with things being as they were, everyone was a little on edge. To put it mildly. Sookie found herself somewhat unsurprised to see Pam and Willa there, looking agitated.

"Get y'all hands off me….this is vintage Chanel." Pam snapped at the guards that had taken her by the arms, her magenta pantsuit very much out of place in this rustic hideaway but she didn't care. "I may not be connected to him like I was before, but every now and then I still get flashes through the ghost of our bond. And I had to get here. She had to come with too." Pam said, gesturing towards Willa. "I don't see the manhandling here, you all know who I am so I don't get why rough hands are still all over me. Years ago I may have loved that but I don't swing that way anymore….not with the lack of decent prospects in the cess pool that is men now a days."

The guards let the two go with a gesture from Elsa, who apologized for their reaction. "I know they all know who you are here but with all the strangeness if the past, we can not take anything or anyone to chance. It is good to see the two of you here. Perhaps the more family he is surrounded by, the better."

"I don't know the whole story yet but I don't deal well with emotional bullshit, even with family." Pam said

"You've gotten better." Sookie pointed out. "And we don't need your attitude getting in the way, I love you dearly but we….this is bad." and so she explained to the two newcomers what had happened in the period since the funeral. "He's unstable in a way I never imagined, all these years he has been strong and stoic and…this death….its like the icing on the crap cake. Its broken him in more ways than one. I can only hope you guys are of help with this. Family…..its more powerful than you think it may be."

"I may not have been a part of this family as long as you both have been…..but he freed me from the restrains of my father…..he really did become my father in place of my dead one….the governor was a reprehensible person who always held me back…..now, I am allowed to live my full potential. And I want to do whatever I can to help him in this. He gave me a new and better life and I am grateful for it."

"Ok, hallmark card." Pam said as she looked at the younger vamp with a annoyed look that broke into a smirk. "Were you this cheerful as a human? Optimistic? Because maybe a card writing career could work for you."

The moment of levity was broken by a strangled, pained shouting from the cell up the hall and all turned in the direction, all looking more than a little concerned. "I think it would be good to try your faerie magic, sweetie." Pam suggested with a concerned look.

"That's just it…..its going to take more than magic to solve this…if we even can. If we don't, he may just have to stay there forever and that is not a option for anyone."

 **Chapter 7**

The others were taken to the throne room, to be given some much needed blood. They all would nee their strength in the upcoming time that they would need to try to right things. Meanwhile, she kept vigil outside the cell, taking heed of the armed guards not to reenter. And for several days, she and the others had decided to throw caution to the wind, much to Elsa's disapproval, to try to talk to their loved one, to try to get him to get out of this funk. As it was, they saw the physical toll this madness was taking on him. After a week confined in the silver lined cell, after everyone else had tried to talk some sense into him, it had seemed fruitless. Pam was taking her turn trying to talk him out of the funk, having managed to do it once before. "You Can't just lay here like a lump, people…..need you. What happened with Aurora….you can not blame yourself and think of what y'all still have. Think about the torment you are inflicting on those who are about you. As it is, your wife is in her room, exhausted in every way possible." Pam stopped a she realized just how bad things really were. She saw that his arms were mutilated with bite marks and how weak he looked. "you're not taking any of the blood sent in to you….so now you've got an eating disorder and look like shit. You really are trying to off yourself. Well me and the others, we ain't taking it and-" she was stopped as he sat up from the bed and looked not angry at her, but pleading.

"Pam…out of all those I care about I would only ask this of you….end this…..now." he shook his head as she took in just how ill he looked. "I'm tired, so tired, of living like this and if you don't want to end me, I'll give you a reason to." and out of the dark place he was in and that desperation, he lunged at his oldest friend, who managed to move swiftly away as he fell into the wall, hard and by then, there had been enough commotion to bring the other back to the scene and silently, Sookie popped into the room and flashed quickly out, Pam in tow.

"He really has lost his mind, even worse than I could have imagined….worse then bill going all crazy on vampire religion." Pam said, looking more worried than Sookie had ever seen him and as they gathered, they heard noises from the cell, pounding sounds as if he was trying to bust loose but a glimpse in the room showed them he was biting into his flesh, clearly trying, hoping to bleed out to the point of no return. Something needed to be done. Now.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Chapter 4

**PART FOUR**

 **Chapter 8**

"Enough already, its been trying enough this week and if we don't do anything soon, there isn't going to be anything left saving. As it is he is starving and isn't healing and as such, he can bleed out. He wants death to come to him and I am not letting it happen. All of you….you have been here for him and have tried speaking to him in turn. And I really believe its helped, even though its hard to see any difference. I sense it though. I sense a change within him that fighting spirit within him, its flickering back to life. But its tenuous at best. "I guess it has to be me that gets him well…."

"You can't possibly think about going in there….who knows what he may try to do he is not in his right mind." Willa grabbed Sookie's arm, panic in her eyes and Elsa and Gunnar had to nod in agreement. "I know you don't think he wouldn't harm you but he isn't himself…..he's unstable at best and-"

"Please don't take this wrong but I have known him longer than you have." Sookie said, her fractious temper being tested.

"And I have known him longer than everyone here, save for some of the Vikings here and even then, he wasn't around long after his family was massacred. And I am saying he is dangerous. As much as I want to go back in to help him I am not stupid either." Pam looked as impatient as Sookie and the others were feeling. "I feel like if something isn't done now, we may not get another chance. While we are out here waiting for some sign or a miracle, he is getting weaker and more unhinged. All because snuffed it." there came a blast of light as Pam was thrown back into the wall, a frazzled and angry Sookie glaring at her. She didn't want to do what she had just done, didn't want to risk going back to the way they once were, that animosity and jealousy between them. But she was overcome with worry and fear of what could happen if they didn't. Pam got to her feet and though looking rather murderous, she restrained herself. "I am going to ground…somewhere else. Anything happens, shoot me a text." with a nasty look, she left, Willa and Sookie and Elsa in her wake.

"I am sorry about that, I just…I lost it and I-" Sookie felt guilty for harming someone that was family now, someone she had come to think o sister. That they had come to fat over the years, she feared that they had just taken ginormous steps backward. And then again, she and Pam had come to a understanding, things had been good for the most part. Maybe a breather would calm their nerves but for now, they needed to focus on being there for him, which was why she was rather unsurprised when Pam returned a half hour later, still on edge but she took Sookie aside as the others talked about what they could attempt next.

"I don't blame you for what you did and actually, not many get a chance to go at me and live to tell the tale. I used tot think you were just some vapid faerie princess….you've done well as a hybrid and made me proud to call you a relative. But if you ever tell anyone I complimented you….." Pam gave her a fangy smirk and Sookie nodded stiffly, though she managed a small, meek smile.

"I know you worry about him and you are right, you have spent more time with him that I have…any of us have and you know him better than even I do." Sookie sighed. "I tried using my power to help him…..to calm him and it worked for a few moments but then it was back to the melancholy and now…suicidal and all…" she looked earnestly at her friend, her family member. "You were the one that found him in France, was he….this bad?"

"This, my friend, is about a thousand times worse. I… hate feeling so helpless in helping him. I thought maybe we could talk sense into him, snap him out of this but….I don't like not being able to do anything and with you trying to do something and it not working…."

Looking at the door that separated him from the loved ones who were worried about him, Sookie sighed. "I thought about going back in but….I think I need some rest, I feel a little…..off and I want to be at my best if I'm gonna try again."

 **Chapter 9**

She tossed in turned in the cleaned up room. That it had been out back to rights so fast was helped by her own special abilities and even then, there remained the specter of misery and melancholy there. And though Elsa had led the protests in allowing her to enter the cell, they all knew that as powerful as they were, none outmatched Sookie and her magic. And her determination to heal things. And she entered the room, knowing full well he had to be starving by now and with his mind already a hot mess….clearly, she had to be on her game.

"Can I come in?" she knocked on the door rather than flashing herself right into the cell, knowing that her kin were nearby, ready for anything that may happen. But she also shut the door on the bars of the door, keeping them from seeing anything going in inside. She stepped in, taking gingerly paced steps. The sun was starting to come up and she knew the others would still wait as the castle was, in fact, designed to be light tight when needed. This was when modern tech came in, as there came a siren noise that ran through the whole of the structure, through speakers, warming those within the are to enter the castle for the day or to go to the simple but comfortable light tight bunker building adjacent to the castle. Every structure on the land was outfitted with a button that when pushed, closed metal blinds down over the windows. And so with all safely within the confines of the even more fortified buildings, Elsa didn't need to worry about anyone save for her family at the moment.

Slone in the cell with him, she was wary, knowing anything could happen at any time, that he was unpredictable at best, dangerous and deadly. Round one, round two. Round three…she didn't know what attempt this was anymore, all she cared about was bringing him back form such a precipitous place. "So…can we try this again? Maybe hear me out? No blood being spilled or saying nasty things or….whatever." she said, trying to start a dialogue between her and her beau. She ached for him, knowing the torment and turmoil that had taken a grip on his body and mind, never before had she dealt with anything this intense, terrible and with everything the had faced before, this was certainly one of the worst things she had seen in her life. And she was not about to lose him because of crippling depression, though she knew from her own dealings with her own anxiety and sadness he had had, depression was certainly a formidable opponent. One that never really ever went away.

"I feel it coming, s=  
Sookie." he said, staring at the ceiling. "It won't be long now…." he said. "And I don't want you around to see it, I don't want any of you-"

"You are going to sit up and feed. And we are going to get through this together. You need help and I and everyone else out there are going to get you back to your self. Tough love or whatever, but I am not sitting back and watching you destroy yourself or others in this madness you're suffering from. Would you please just look at me, say something?" she was shouting and knew, even with the blinds covering the door window down, the others were outside listening to every word. "Get off your stubborn Nordic ass and snap out of it…people depend on you and want you around, as difficult as you can be sometimes, we love you!" she found herself at the side of the cot and was looking down at him as he looked up at her face, furrowing his brow, taking in her expression. He looked dreadful and she knew he couldn't last much longer without a good feeding. "I don't mean to hurt any of you but I need to do this for myself, for you all. You would all be better off without some unhinged vampire not being fully here for you, wallowing. At least this way, it would be one less worry and you'd have each other and-"

She put her hands firmly, forcefully on his temples, surprising him and her magic kept him still, no easy feat. And it was then she saw it, the underlying cause that she hadn't had the chance to detect before, or perhaps, it had not had the chance to take full effect. Someone had certainly helped his illness along and whatever magic it was, it was using his feelings against him, making him this way in the hopes that either he would, in fact end himself, or someone would be forced to. And she saw a face that she was familiar with and the face was someone she had thought a friend, but was so clearly a wolf in the henhouse. Jealousy had clearly taken root in the vampire named Henrik and as she took her hands off her own Viking, she put a hand over her mouth in shock that someone had managed to do this, she saw it had happened when he had arrived, lured by magic there and the second blast of the magic used to make him the way he now was.

He blinked up at her and saw the worry on her face. "What?" he said, seeming lucid, sane for the moment. Sitting up, he went to take her hands but it was clear she had a distrust of him in his current frame of mind but she told him what she had seen and heard. "I don't think that's the case….I came here on my own….." but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice and again, she told him what she saw.

"You were lured here with magic, subtly he used your pain to drive you off to here and here we are…I can bring you to lucidity for a few minutes at a time but…..we need answers. And only one person here can grant them." she opened the door to the cell and was unsurprised to find the others waiting. "Bring Henrik here. Now."

Elsa wasn't used to being given orders but this was a circumstance unlike anything else and so she soon returned with a confused looking dirty blonde that was a tall and broad and very Viking in appearance but there was something about him that Sookie hadn't noted before. But the closer he was brought to her, the stronger she got a sense of just what was up with him, he very clearly was imbued with something dark and dangerous. And yet, he tried playing the innocent, oblivious part.

"What am I doing here? I thought things were settling down." he said

"Were you? Or were you hoping that by now there would be a pile of dead bodies, including his?" Sookie said as she gestured to where her own Viking sat on the bed, she sensing through their bond the period of lucidity she had managed to being about was fading fast. "What and why have you done thing to him? don't lie, I saw in his mind you come to him after he got here, taking him aside and adding to what you already started with, the magic that helped bring him here…..you need to undo what you did because I tried and its like a knot I can't unravel. And that's saying something, I have power you couldn't begin to imagine…..why I am not using it to incinerate you on this spot is only because I need answers."

"Destroying me isn't going to undo anything. There is a price that needs to be paid and I don't think you want to know what it is because you, my pretty little freak are the one what has to pay it. I didn't want you or your freak show family joining us ever, we did find before you all came along and I wanted you gone. I make no apologies for what I have done and can only hope that if you pay the price that you are wiped out. Knowing that at least one of you are going to be destroyed puts me at peace." Henrik said with a smirk that disgusted all in his presence. "You and your family are a disgrace to the rest of us…..mixed blood like you have, what he has….all of your are too tainted, too caught up in the ways of modern living….I hate the technology brought into our midst and you…you don't come back unless its convenient, all the while running some club and living so far from the life you were born to. You decided to ignore your past, to ignore your heritage and birthright. All to make money and live like none of this matters to you. Well, I actually care about preserving the ways of MY people and though we may have fangs, we still keep traditions of the Vikings alive. While you sit back and enjoy your fat bank account you got after becoming a…..pitchman on TV…" Henrik said the last part with a very clear air of disgust. "The only way to undo what I did is for someone else to carry the burden."

Pam made a move to offer herself up but the wicked vamp smirked. "Only one with magic can take it out and my dear whore, you would be goo before you even got a good start in taking the taint out." Henrik turned and looked at the faerie/vamp sitting on the bed besides the once more regressing Viking, her magic only able to buy minutes at a time of lucidity.

"Is that all we need to know?" Sookie demanded as she stole a concerned took to her right as Eric clenched his head, the demons of what had befallen him rearing their ugly, suicidal head. Henrik nodded stiffly as a solemn looking Elsa stepped forward and with a smooth,, fast motion, the devious vamp was reduced to a pile of goo and Elsa made no qualms about getting her regal looking clothing soiled. In fact, she looked relieved, gleeful to have vanquished the cancer that threatened her family. But it wasn't over yet. She turned to her sister in law at this point, hoping for finish this fully.

 **Chapter 10**

"You may not make it, it could be dangerous." Willa said as they stood outside the cell for a private chat away from their shared loved one, who was spiraling back into a unstable state of mind. "What if something goes wrong? What if that Henrik lied to you?"

"My powers let me see into vamp minds." Sookie said with a scowl, not towards her family but at the situation. "I don't care what it costs me, I am the only one who can end this. And there isn't much time left, I can feel it. If I don't act now, there isn't any going back. There ain't going to be anything to save and best case scenario? We euthanize him for his own good and for ours. Worst case? He gets out of this place and…everyone of us are in danger, much less anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path elsewhere. He is a loaded weapon, even when stable….we've all seen what he can do."

The others nodded. "Is there anything we can do? I mean….we came all this way I hate to feel useless and helpless."

It still amazed her that her knowledge, her instinct from her faerie magic took hold of her, especially in the most trying of times and so Sookie knew that it would, in fact, be a team effort. "I need you three to create a circle around us, creating positive energy while I use my hands to put out the magic harming him. My magic should work with your connection to me that I will create. This isn't going to be easy and will take a lot from us all, I fear. But we can't not try.""

The three obeyed and together, Elsa, Pam and Willa held hands and with some finagling, had made a circle around where Sookie started to cast her magic, still amazed at how attuned to her abilities and nature she had become. She silently thanked her late grandfather for awakening the knowledge, the power within her fully. And then it began, she started to let her magic do what she wanted, needed it to do. She watched as slowly, a darkness, the sickness drew from him, in the form of a foggy blackness that dissipated as soon as her light touched it. Everything after that was a blur as she son lost consciousness, feeling her body fall to the ground, caught by the ones who had also played a part in her trying to nurse him back to perfect health.

 **Epilogue**

She awoke wrapped in the soft warmth of the animal pelts she had come to enjoy on the bed. True, it wasn't her Target comforter set like at home but this was almost better, keeping her warmer and she had actually contemplated bringing some of these rustic blankets home with her. But for now, she blinked up at the soft torch lit room, amplified by a batter powered lantern on a nearby table. And there in the flickering shadows in a chair beside the bed, she saw him sitting, staring intently, it was evident he had yet to sleep himself, the tell tale sign of the bleeds upon him but he clearly didn't care and looked relieved as he took her hands and looked more grateful than she had ever seen him.

"How are you feeling?" Eric asked, ignoring his own wellbeing.

She looked as relieved as he was as she sat herself up, her energy already better than it had been when using the magic she had to spare him, his sanity. "I felt….drained before." she said, smirking at her own joke. "But I feel….good. And it looks like we saved your ass. Again."

He laughed. "Clearly your sass is in tact….." his face fell. "The others…I sent them out of the room, even Pam, she was here watching and waiting for you to get up. Finally she said she couldn't stand this place and she and Willa headed back to the states with the promise I texted them the moment you got up. They didn't want to leave the bar for too long with Ginger mostly unsupervised, though Pam did convince Jessica to go keep an eye on thing .Pam, though, she was also quite worried about you, though she would never admit it. Its funny, even after all this time, how far you two have come….its nothing short of a miracle I think."

"And to think you never believed in miracles before, how cynical and jaded you were."

"Oh, that's still there….but you've made it less so." he pulled his cell phone out and with a quick call delivered the news to the others back in the states. "They are both fine, by the way…..they were a little dizzy after the fact but after a good feed, they bounced back."

"Good, I worried that something may happen to them, I work on instinct. And luck." she said as she hopped out of bed and circled around to sit on his lap. "I am so glad everyone is ok….you've got a goof family around you, you know…."

"His sister being his favorite." a voice called from the doorway and Elsa stood there, regal looking as always but smiling with a look of pure relief. "I didn't mean to interrupt but I sensed you were up….anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. You know we keep a supply of nourishment for you just in case."

"Thanks but I just want to rest." Sookie replied as she leaned against her Viking."

"Rest." Elsa said with a knowing grin. "Ok, well you two just 'rest' then and I will see you shortly. "Just remember that I may be old but I picked up modern slang, euphemisms and whatever else pretty fast." and with a saucy smirk that was so her brother, she left the two of them alone. Alone to not rest as she had implied, but to literally rest, to recover from yet another close call.

 **THE END**


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